Mikaela Shiffrin is having a successful start to the Olympic season, securing four wins in four World Cup slalom races. After overcoming significant career setbacks with two major crashes, she is pleased with her performance across various disciplines.
Shiffrin emphasized the mental challenges of each race despite the appearance of ease to spectators. She expressed her satisfaction with her ability to deliver high-quality skiing under pressure this season. The American skier is set to compete in Semmering, Austria, where she has previously achieved seven out of her record-breaking 105 World Cup victories, including consecutive triple victories in 2016 and 2022.
This weekend, Shiffrin will participate in two races at Semmering: a giant slalom on Saturday and a slalom on Sunday. Although she holds a record of 22 World Cup giant slalom wins, she hasn’t reached the podium in the discipline since a serious crash in Killington, Vermont, last season left her with injuries.
Shiffrin remains optimistic about her progress in giant slalom, noting recent fourth-place finishes as signs of improvement. Her focus is on continuous enhancement and embracing challenges to elevate her performance level, potentially benefiting her slalom races.
In her return to super-G at St. Moritz, Switzerland, Shiffrin displayed significant progress despite missing the final gate. She aims to excel in super-G events, possibly including them in her program for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Shiffrin’s dominant form in slalom, marked by consistent wins with significant time gaps and strong recovery from errors, contrasts with her struggles in the previous season. Her remarkable performance in slalom positions her to tie her personal best start to a season if she secures another victory, building on her impressive winning streak.
With two Olympic gold medals already in her collection, Shiffrin eyes participation in four events at the upcoming Winter Olympics: slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and the team combined. Having secured a gold medal in team combined at the last season’s world championships with teammate Breezy Johnson, Shiffrin aims to create a formidable skiing partnership, possibly including Lindsey Vonn, who has shown strong form this season at the age of 41.
